Karl Ferguson - Latest News [Page 1]

With the on-going volatility of petrol prices, the tide appears to be turning against
the large Sports Utility Vehicle, but we shouldn’t be too hasty in tarring all
such vehicles with the same brush. More >>

There’s a reason that Volvos have a reputation for being safe cars. That’s because
they are. Up until recently, I have never needed to know first hand just how safe
– I have always taken them at their word and indeed the word of many of the finest ... More >>

It would be easy to dismiss the latest Honda Legend as just another attempt by a
Japanese carmaker to get a slice of the luxury car territory. After all, the paying
public is spoilt for choice when it comes to luxury sedans and it’s generally the ... More >>

At first blush, I was beginning to wonder what all the fuss was about. Commuting
in a WRX STi Spec R mid-winter, as the rain came down and the windscreen wipers heaved,
it was hard not to focus on the ‘super-Subaru’s’ apparent shortcomings – ... More >>

A cynic might suggest that a red Volvo is a good way to get attention for a new model, but believe it or not, Volvo have a tradition of producing red cars, especially when it comes to the smaller vehicles of the range. In fact, I distinctly remember driving ... More >>

It’s unfortunate, but inevitable, that many will remember the first iteration of Subaru’s Tribeca, not for its smooth six cylinder motor, or its seven seats – a first for Subaru – but instead for its rather unfortunate front end. More >>

There are times when technology, rather than aiding us, seems frankly more inhibiting than anything else. It was this thought than ran through my mind after a few days with Volvo’s latest offerings. Despite a week respectively with both the V70 and ... More >>

People who wear cardigans do not drive V8s. Well, I suppose there are a few ancient Rovers V8s around and their drivers might well wear cardigans on occasion I grant you, but as a general rule, they don’t. Given this, what could Volvo be thinking ... More >>

I wouldn’t describe Carterton’s White Swan Hotel as pretentious exactly. Like any other pub in the Wairarapa on a Friday night it has a mix of patrons – some locals, some weekenders, and some like us just passing through, looking for a meal ... More >>

Rightly or wrongly, Jaguar’s are often seen as stately, even genteel cars – cars that convey their passengers in comfort and silence, cosseted, removed even from the real world. It’s the smoking jacket effect, lingering on even in the face of ... More >>

> It’s easy to feel smug in a convertible. It’s also easy to feel a bit of a git. On the one hand you’re confident that people are looking at you enviously as you cruise with the top down, the sunlight reflecting stylishly on your sunglasses. ... More >>

It’s been a few years since I last drove the Escape, Ford’s early ‘new century’ answer to the unprecedented Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) demand. The Escape offered a welcome alternative to a heavy and gas-guzzling full-sized SUV for a lot less money, ... More >>

It’s getting to the point that to be a credible importer of vehicles into New Zealand these days, you need to offer at least one diesel powered vehicle in your passenger car line up (though some prefer hybrids). This is good news for consumers as diesels ... More >>

The motorway into the city was unusually deserted for a Saturday evening but perhaps not surprisingly given the lateness of the hour. The Nissan Skyline was virtually abreast of me when I noticed it, its passengers craning their necks as they came ... More >>

I can’t be sure exactly what the cyclist was saying, but his sentiment was clear. It had a lot to do with his shaking fist and angry expression. It seems that while driving to work one typically late spring morning (overcast, cold) I had strayed ... More >>

It’s a Friday night. Things are quiet at this end of town, and few people are about save a couple of commuters who perhaps stayed for one beer two many and now make haste to catch a train to the suburbs. The night is unusually still for Wellington, ... More >>

“You know, that really is a good looking car,” my boss said rather wistfully as he stared out my office window at the car-park five floors below. “In fact, it’s probably the first Lexus I would seriously consider buying.” More >>

Toxic terror yellow, caped crusader blue – is it possible that Ford’s FPV colour palette has in some way been influenced by comic book super heroes – or anti-heroes for that matter? Judging by the sheer luridness of the test GT and Typhoon vehicles ... More >>

Ferrari, Maserati, Lamborghini – Italian exotica that causes most men to go just a little weak at the knees at even their passing mention. Unfortunately, such exotica is usually well beyond the reach of most mere mortals, which is why Alfa Romeo is ... More >>